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Sunday, February 14, 2016

Pol update & remembering Justice Scalia

On Halloween night I wrote,  "Donald Trump and Ben Carson will decompose in the coming months and try to trade whatever political capital they have in the form of an endorsement, for something they can use to remain relevant".  I also wrote Marco Rubio would become the GOP nominee.   (More fun paring back the candidates, October 31, 2015).  

Barnum and Bailey poster Wikipedia
I stand by these predictions although I now believe Trump may withhold his endorsement of another candidate.
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Millions of Americans (including my six readers) mourn the loss of Justice Antonin Scalia.  He was a colorful, principled and brilliant American jurist.

Justice Antonin Scalia
Wikipedia image
Much has been discussed about his obsessive attention to originalism (which I learned today he sometimes called textualism).  It means a focus on the intent of the Founders and a dedication to their wording embedded in the U.S. Constitution.  Justice Scalia would often admonish anyone with a desire to understand the Framers intent to read the Federalist Papers

He was true to those principles as exemplified by this passage from a Wikipedia page...

"Scalia responded to his critics that his originalism `...has occasionally led him to decisions he deplores, like his upholding the constitutionality of flag burning', which according to Scalia is an expression protected by the First Amendment."